Dining in Split

The number of quality restaurants and various eating options has recently exploded in Split. Not all places are worth eating at, of course. Since we always send restaurant recommendations to our clients, here is just a brief overview of some of the best places we recommend.

DVOR
Long time our favorite is still a popular place in town for great settings and seafront seating. The views and atmosphere are simply great and very relaxing no matter if you are looking for an easy family lunch or a romantic dinner for two.

The menu got some needed additions and refreshments although the basic idea is still the same.

Overall, Dvor is still a good place to eat at but it got somewhat more expensive than last years. In Dvor, I always had issues with waiters who were never professional as in some other places and were trying to be friendly more than they should be. Also, this time the three of them were quite loud and we could not even talk normally at the table located near the entrance to the kitchen. Will look for a table further away next time.

PERIVOJ
Operated by the same folks who own Dvor, I did expect a bit better food and a bit better service as this was a major investment and it is one of the nicest places in Split.

The ambiance is absolutely superb despite being surrounded by socialist buildings. It is a proper oasis close to the very heart of the city.

I must say that the food was better than expected. The tastes were there, structure and design were flawless. My lamb shank in pea sauce was absolutely great! Also, desserts are superb in every way so definitely leave some room for them after the meal! This is a place I can easily recommend everyone for food and settings although staff again is the weakest link. They don’t seem to realize that their working hours are to be dedicated to the guests. No serious issues but just an overall feeling that the service level has room for improvement.

O’ZLATA
Long awaited addition to restaurant scene in Split opened this very spring and is already getting praises for food and ambiance. We had lunch there maybe a week or so after it opened and did not have high expectations as, usually, restaurants need some time to get started and everything starts rolling.

I must say that everything was simply great and I love the fact that they have a great selection of appetizers. We had all of them 🙂 and not one was mediocre!
Followed by the main course and fabulous dessert selection, O’Zlata got very high rating from us right at the first visit! My only negative would be actual number of meals as it seems that in one or two visits, one can taste everything.

PARADIGMA
Still undisputed in Split and most of the Adriatic coastline. The level of service, menu, wine list and (new) offer of select gins, make Paradigma number one place for great and proper fine dining in Split.

Where to start? Menu last year was great but this year chef Ante made huge progress in focusing even more on tastes and design of each meal. Of course, like in any restaurant of this sort, tasting menu is the way to go. Don’t expect to capture the “philosophy” of Paradigma just by sampling one or two dishes. We opted for full 9 course tasting menu but we had only few glasses of wine with it as it was a bit too late for me to drink.

Every single dish that was brought to us was a piece of art and the tastes were simply superb. My only “complaint” was that I needed something more refreshing for dessert so I ordered a fabulous panacota to sweeten everything. Also, the service – still unparalleled anywhere in Split. By light years. All the staff from other restaurants should at least have one meal in Paradigma just to see how it is done.
Gin Tonic -and then there is my perfect summer drink done the perfect way. The selection of 29 world’s best gins make this place even better!

In any case, this is just a small overview of over 280 places to eat at in Split. Just a selection of some of the best that we eat at regularily over the season. We do not recommend many others to our clients but we are always happy, for those into more casual eating, to recommend Brasserie on 7, Mazgoon and newly opened Torito as great alternatives.

Split has come a long way and became a great place to eat out with numerous options!